brida held the spear in a throwing position. "oh?" she asked.

"except for today," the prince hastily said. "i can see i have upset your...delicate nerves. i shall take my leave now and come back at a better time," he said, starting to back up.

"don't come back," brida warned. "you aren't wanted here."

"that you have made perfectly clear, madam," the prince said before darting out sight. "but i will be back. count on it."

brida held an arm in front of elise as she listened to the man stumble through the woods. (elise had to wonder how she missed his arrival if that was how he usually moved.) when the noises faded, brida lowered her weapon and her arm. "well done, furstin," brida said before she plunged through the four troubled swans and headed back to the camp.

elise followed, the swans in tow, with wide eyes. she had never imagined there would be a day when brida would praise her.

elise glanced over her shoulder in the direction prince toril had disappeared. what was he doing this far south? elise shivered in the cool summer air, hoping he would forget about her, forget about brida, and forget about her wild swans.

"prince toril? what could he possibly want with elise?" nick asked as he sat next to brida.

"i could think of several things," rune frowned. "did you scare him enough?" he asked brida-who was telling her part of the story.

"if i had frightened him anymore, he very likely would have wet his royal trousers," brida dryly said.

"that's our brida," nick chimed in.

rune nodded and paced by the fire.

"perhaps we should move," elise said.

"there's no reason to. the prince of verglas is not known for his sharp wit. he will never figure out who you are. i doubt we are in any real danger except for extreme annoyance if he keeps popping up," steffen said.

"he will be leaving to go north to the capital soon," falk said.

"how do you know?" elise asked.

"based on his clothes, he's obviously on a hunting trip. even though he is flippant, he is the only heir to the throne and as such would have to be in court most of the time," falk said.

"based on his clothes? you remember what he looked like? you were one of the swans that came with brida?" elise asked.

falk shifted and looked, for the first time in years, uncomfortable. "yes."

before elise could further pursue this interesting reveal, rune, who still paced, said, "i don't care. first the hunter and now this prince-i will not let us put elise's life in danger."

"i assure you, prince rune, i will do my best to protect princess elise," brida said.

rune pressed his lips together and tried to hang his thumbs on a sword belt that wasn't there. his hazel eyes were dim and tinted with frustration.

"that's not enough, is it?" brida asked, her voice hollow.

rune looked away and flexed his hands.

erick cleared his throat, drawing elise's attention to hm. he discreetly tipped his head in rune's direction and made a shooing gesture.

elise hesitated for a moment, wondering why of all her brothers it would be erick to instruct her to talk with rune.

"i should check on the horses-they haven't been offered water in a few hours. come with me, rune?" elise asked.

"certainly," rune said, rallying a smile before he followed elise out of the bright campfire circle.

"i have lost track of the days, but it must be summer by now," elise said.

"it is. it is still quite cool here, though."

"i agree. i knew our country has a warmer climate, but i still need to cover up when i sleep. at home it's usually quite hot by now," elise said.

rune shrugged. "verglas has been a colder country for centuries. even its neighbors don't get the same snowfall and cool summers. do you want me to lead both of the horses?" rune asked as they approached the shaky wooden fence that boxed the horses in for the night.

"no, falk's horse and i have come to an understanding. and standing with them doesn't bother me so much as being on their backs does," elise said, reaching for the rope halter brida had fashioned for falk's horse after her arrival. she slipped it on over the gelding's face and, using a rope, led him from the pen to the pond.

"so what did you want to discuss?" rune asked.

"pardon?"

"brida religiously waters the horses; your chore was just an excuse."

elise watched falk's horse lip the water. "yes," she agreed before looking up at rune. "i wanted to ask what is wrong."

"wrong?"

"you are troubled tonight."

rune laughed. "elise, i think anyone in our situation would be troubled."

elise shook her head. "no, something has especially bothered you this evening."

rune placed a hand on brida's horse and stroked her glossy shoulder. "i can't help but think that i have failed you."